Sec. 28. (a) The natural resources commission shall categorize salaries of enforcement officers within each rank based upon the rank held and the number of years of service in the department through the twentieth year. The salary ranges that the commission assigns to each rank shall be divided into a base salary and fifteen (15) increments above the base salary with:

(1) the base salary in the rank paid to a person with less than one (1) year of service in the department; and

(2) the highest salary in the rank paid to a person with at least fifteen (15) years of service in the department.

     (b) The salary matrix prescribed by this section shall be reviewed and approved by the state budget agency biennially in even-numbered years before implementation.

     (c) The salaries for law enforcement officers of the law enforcement division of the department must be equal to the salaries of police employees of the state police department under IC 10-11-2-13, based upon years of service in the department and rank held.

     (d) The requirement of subsection (c) does not affect:

(1) any rights or liabilities accrued; or

(2) any proceedings begun;

on or before June 30, 1999. Those rights, liabilities, and proceedings continue and shall be imposed and enforced under prior civil law and procedure as if the requirement of subsection (c) had not been enacted.

As added by P.L.2-1996, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.206-1999, SEC.1; P.L.2-2003, SEC.42; P.L.234-2007, SEC.307; P.L.114-2022, SEC.25; P.L.201-2023, SEC.144.